New Fort Collins City Council members bring familiar viewpoints

Ideologies of council members elected Tuesday parallel those of officials they'll replace.

Apr. 2, 2013

Fort Collins City Council District 3 candidate Gino Campana, center, is pictured with supporters Shari Grant, left, and Clint Skutchan during a party held for Campana at his parents' southeast Fort Collins home Tuesday night. Campana defeated Lynda Blake for the seat. / Rich Abrahamson/The Coloradoan

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Fort Collins District 5 City Council candidate Ross Cunniff is greeted by Anne Manvil, left, as Cunniff stands with Elizabeth Hudetz during an election night party held Tuesday at the Crown Pub in downtown Fort Collins. Cunniff defeated Patrick Edwards to take the council seat. / Rich Abrahamson/The Coloradoan

Fort Collins District 1 City Council candidate Bob Overbeck, right, shares a laugh with Tim Johnson during an election night party held Tuesday at the Crown Pub in Old Town Fort Collins. Overbeck defeated three other council hopefuls to win the seat. / Rich Abrahamson/The Coloradoan

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Fort Collins voters went with familiar political views Tuesday when picking new representatives for the City Council.

Pro-environment candidates Bob Overbeck and Ross Cunniff from respective districts 1 and 5 won solid victories, replacing term-limited council members Ben Manvel and Kelly Ohlson, who were known for strong environmental stances throughout their years on council.

Overbeck defeated three candidates in District 1, which covers the northeast part of the city, by a margin of victory that surprised even his staunchest supporters.

The key to the win was hard work, Overbeck said during a lively celebration at the Crown Pub with friends.

Overbeck said he and campaign volunteers knocked on a lot of doors as they reached out to the community.

“The difference was the message,” he said. “This campaign was about neighborhoods and community and protecting our environment.

“I think people really responded to that message.”

Those are the values of the district and city, he said, and the areas he will work on as a council member.

Overbeck won with 47.7 percent of the district vote, easily outdistancing opponents M.L Johnson, Bryan Payne and Butch Stockover, who was backed by the business community.

Name recognition made a difference in District 5, Cunniff said. An unsuccessful bid for mayor two years ago might have made him familiar to district voters and kept possible opponents out of the race.

His only opponent was Patrick Edwards, a 23-year-old college student making his first run for office. District 5 covers the west-central part of the city, including neighborhoods near the CSU campus.

Cunniff said the new council’s philosophical bent will be similar to the outgoing council in that it “tilts to the progressive side.”

“I think this is a validation that people do want their council to work hard for them,” he said. “We hear a lot from some people that the best government is the government that governs least.

“But I don’t think people want that in their city government. They want reasonable protections for their quality of life.”

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In District 3, which covers the southeast part of the city, Gino Campana received 64 percent of the vote in defeating challenger Lynda Blake.

Campana, a designer and developer who grew up in Fort Collins, said his long personal history with city issues made the difference in the race. Campana has served on many city boards and commissions, including seven years on the Planning and Zoning Board.

“In the end, I think the voters saw the stark discrepancies in our backgrounds, our knowledge of city issues, and our experience and connections in the community,” he said.

Campana replaces Aislinn Kottwitz, who was a strong supporter of business on the council. Kottwitz chose not to seek a second term on council and supported Campana in his election bid.

Mayor Karen Weitkunat, a longtime small-business owner, received 70 percent of the vote in defeating challenger Eric Sutherland in her bid for a second two-year term. Much of her support came from the business community.

The philosophical direction of the new council may not shift much from where it has been the past couple of years, she said.

“The people have spoken, and we will move forward like we have after every election and a change,” Weitkunat said.